blogging as a means of restoration

If you keep up with me on FB and Instagram, you know I usually update ya'll with my poetry and events, especially this past year. So as I write this I'm finishing up the final touches on the website (and it's nearing 8 am). This blog serves to help me open up more outside of the realm of poetry. To delve more into who I am as a individual, and so forth. So let's begin.

2016 was a behemoth that I didn't intend to battle with such struggle. There were nights of high-end anxiety over projects, grades, money, Babel, Black Boy Fly, PYPM, essentially every facet of my life was tested to the highest degree. Yet, for that I'm thankful, because I survived (like many others) and altogether feel more inspired than ever. One of my friends reminded me earlier in the year that she remembers a time "when Jamal wasn't afraid to fail" and it resonated with me. I don't determine success based on accolades or titles- those are nice, but rather how I bounced back from the most difficult and trying periods of my life.

2016 never ceased to humble me over and over again, and I'm still growing as an artist and individual. I owe thanks to all of my mentors- Kavi, Miriam, Viz, Blu, Greg, Julian, & Kai. Shout outs to Babel for being my chosen family, shout outs to PYPM for allowing me to leave the nest as a competitor but enabling me to give back as a mentor and workshop facilitator. Dashikis and Warpaint. Thank you Von & Pratt for being my best friends and necessary confidantes.